Fight goes on for a council that is listening to residents

Temple Cowley Pools, above, is unique. It was built in the 1980s. It has a large swimming pool, diving pool, steam room, sauna and a gymnasium. All this is provided by the council tax payers of Oxford, which makes the cost of accessing all these services affordable for many people trapped on low wages in this expensive city.

I have been part of the Save TCP campaign for two years.

I suggested in 2010 that Nigel Gibson, the leader of Save TCP, should use the enormous momentum of the petition to stand as the Temple Cowley candidate in the local elections.

Sadly for the wonderful people of Oxford, the city is absolutely dominated by Bob Price’s Labour Party. Having made many five-minute addresses to the council, one thing is very clear.

The dominant position that Labour holds within Oxford City Council means they have long ago stopped listening to the people of Cowley.

Democracy works best if there is real debate. Democracy works best if councillors can be persuaded by reasoned debate and arguments.

We do not have this in Oxford City Council.

Any political party that has the dominance of the Labour Party is bad for our system of elected democracy. While discussing the merits of standing as a councillor for Save TCP, I was shocked at how fearful our team seemed to be about the level of vitriol the candidate would experience.

I had never publicly stood for anything at all, as a result I was not at all fearful. I just wanted to save Temple Cowley Pools.

We discussed this at length. In practice we really had only two days to complete the nomination forms.

That would mean finding 10 people in the Cowley ward to nominate me. It was agreed that if we could complete the paperwork, then I would stand. An association in the minds of the voters with the name Artwell and the Save Temple Cowley Pools was all that I felt was needed.

As an independent, my name alone would appear on the ballot, not the issue I am campaigning for. This puts all independents at a disadvantage.

The voters see the name of the independent, but have no idea of the issue which they are championing.

Now the last public space in Cowley was being taken away and turned into a block of flats for Brookes students.

This litany of withdrawn services, courtesy of Labour Party, was usually enough to galvanise support the TCP campaign. Having spent much time talking with the people of Cowley during this campaign, I am concerned at the general ignorance people hold about Oxford City Council.

People are willing to believe the massive reduction in services in Cowley is orchestrated by the Conservatives. Cowley residents’ ignorance has helped Labour.

If Cowley people witnessed the process that governs our lives in the Labour-dominated city council, then we the voters would vote tactically, to ensure a better balance in the elected chamber.

The position Labour holds means that Labour decide in advance how they will vote. This mean that they do not respond to the democratic process of debate. I have spoken in the chamber and it is crushing to realise that your carefully prepared five- minute speech is simply ignored.

We human beings are truly creatures of habit. Many people in Cowley take pride in being Labour supporters.

Yet, when it is pointed out that much of the reduction in services which Cowley has endured has been done by Labour, I can visually see the struggle that takes place in the mind of the people in accepting the new uncomfortable information.

I saw John Tanner and MP Andrew Smith campaigning for Labour in the Cowley ward. They were campaigning at 9pm on the night before voting. People say Labour was concerned as there were few Labour posters in Cowley.

My overwhelming memory of the count in the Town Hall is the voice and the dance of Oxford East MP Andrew Smith shouting, “L-A-B-O-U-R again”.

I feel really bad not to have defeated Labour. I did not put myself forward to come second.

Bob Price

I wanted to win. I wanted to be a voice on Oxford City Council for saving Temple Cowley Pools. I wanted to hold Bob Price’s Labour councillors to account. I wanted to hold the officers of the council to account.

Local elections for 2014 are complete. I failed.

The aim of making local government decision-making transparent and open for scrutiny, remains.

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